I had been eyeing it up for a while but refused to pick up another project until I had used my stash. This was a terrible idea because I just fell out with knitting, therefore I went and purchased the pattern, some lovely pink yarn and cast on straight away. It grew pretty quickly and before I knew it I was making the increases.
Here is where I met my first obstacle. I had never worked with cotton before and found it quite slippy, I worked my increases how I have before but they just looked holey and quite frankly awful so I ripped it back! I experimented with yarn overs, make ones but eventually settled with making stitches using the cable cast on method, it worked so I stuck with it.
Then I came to the pattern at the top. To make the bobble the pattern says you are to P3Tog then K1P1K1 all in the next single stitch. I thought this sounded like it would be easier if I reversed it to K3Tog then P1K1P1... It wasn't and I kept pushing my stitches off the needle when trying to K3Tog. So it got ripped again and followed as the pattern states.
My next problem was decreasing for the neckline but continuing the pattern, in the end (and with a little advice) I followed the decreases as they are most important and then the pattern fitted around them if it could. I did make an error in the back and couldn't for the life of me find it so I carried on with it, it has been pointed out to me since but it is so minor I really don't care at all, plus it is on the back so I don't have to look at it.
I cast on the front and got this done an awful lot quicker than the back, that tends to be the way with me, the second half is more exciting because it is the last half. I worked with the remainder of the ball I had from the front which in hindsight I wish I hadn't. Somehow I lost a stitch when I introduced the new yarn, I think due to the slipperiness. I did recover it but something went awry somewhere. Then when I sewed the ends in it snagged and I have a little imperfection in the front. I have stitched in some fake stitches to cover the error but I still know it is there which is a little disappointing.
Shortly after starting the back I read a Facebook status from A Stash Addict about how twisting the stitch made from a yarn over closes the hole. It does and my increases were so much neater this time!
Once the front was finished which I have to admit I found a lot easier than the back it was time to pick up to stitch the neckline and armbands and then sew up. This was all entirely disaster free and completely painless and I have to admit I adore the finished article.
I wore this lovely top to work today with a longer vest underneath. As I walked to pop some post in an office I was stopped to be told how lovely it was. I was over the moon, I announced excitedly "I made it!" and then a long conversation about knitting ensued. Such a big compliment. Nothing quite like wearing handmade clothes that people envy. It was also pointed out that the bobbles look like raspberries, they really do, just lovely.
I would highly recommend this pattern to anybody looking for a simple but slightly challenging knit, it provided me with many opportunities to try to fix things and learn about knitting with cotton and a lace pattern. It combines simple stocking stitch with a more detailed lace stitch. I am acutely aware there are much more complicated lace patterns but for a first attempt this is a nice achievable target. The pattern on the other side of the leaflet is quite nice so watch this space as there may be another one in the making.
Happy Stitching. X
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